I am SOOOOO bummed! I am planning to take the kids to Texas again - by air this time. My nanny and I will take them. I just looked at tickets two days ago and they were $198 round trip. Today I went to book them and they are up to $292! AAAGGGHHHHH

Unfortunately, I'm kind of tied into which airlines/flight I can take because there's no way I'm making any stops/transfers with them. American Airlines and Air Tran are the only ones who fly direct from BWI to DFW. AA has the best time for flights to coincide with naps.

Is there anything I can do to lower my airfare? Or am I pretty much stuck? Is it likely at all that the airfare will go back down between now and then? Or more likely that it will go up? If it does go down and I have already bought my ticket, can I get a price adjustment?

Thanks for any info...

Monica

DH flies ALOT. As the time gets closer it is likely to go up. You will not get a price adjustment if it goes down. Make sure that you get their frequent miles cards for the babies too. In the future you can buy/trade airline miles on all the boards and on Ebay. You can look on Ebay right now for any ticket deals but I doubt you will get it any cheaper. I sell RT Southwest tickets for $250-$350 depending on the market at the time.

how old are your kids? if they can sit on your lap that is one less that you have to spend also don't wait untill last min to buy becuase they go up. do you have aaa they give discounts as well as most car insh. places. if you can wait this is a big if because you will be trav. with kids, you can do what is called stand by. you go on anyday and check in w. the air lines ( it is healpfull to check how many flights are booked for that day to where you are going to the more the better chance you have of getting on) and say i want to go to tx. if there is a no show or the flight isn't filled up they will sell you the tickets at the price that the airline workers get it for. really cheep. i did that from buffalo to jfk. normal prices were 120 and i got it for 80 the bad thing was i was there from 0630 in the morning untill 900 at night waiting for a flight to open and my dh had to go first b/c they couldn't get 2 seats on the same flight together. it is a stressfull way to fly if you aren't flex.
finaly try to see if pakages aren't cheeper than the flight alone i know this sounds odd however i whent to oklahoma and the flight was cheeper when i booked with a hotel that i didn't even stay in as compared to just getting the flight alone.
don'f know if you already tryed this stuff or not if not sorry for the repeats.

I can answer the question for you...Monica has triplets that are just over a year

I just read the part about flying stand by. I know this won't work for Mon. but I do exactly what you do but in reverse...I have a booked ticket, one that I get at least 21 days out and then I OFFER to give up my seat. They usually will guarantee you seat on the second flight from yours. You can get about 150% of the current ticket price in future credit. Then you can either sell it or use it I live in Vegas though so there are flights every hour or so going anywhere so that is why it works so well for me.

that is a really good idia i never thought of doing that! just to get it clear you buy the ticket and then give it up and get refunded that money and then they give you the next ticket to the same place for the discount and they will def. get you on the next flight

Not quite. Go to the airlines and check in like normal. At the gate tell them that you are willling to fly standby if they are overbooked. You will not get the money back for the ticket that you have purchased but they will give you a future credit. IE--you paid $100 for your ticket, they will give you $150 credit (all airlines vary) then they will guarantee you a seat for flights two or three away. You have already paid for that seat Often times they will upgrade your bumped seat or get you on first. It is great to do if you are flexible and don't really care when you get there. Do it on the way back too and you may have enough credit for two trips next time. My DS and I went to LA in Jan. We had a few hours to kill so I volunteered us. We paid $39 each for the original flight ticket but got $300 in future credit to take a flight 2 hours later. The good thing is that the credit can be used by anyone.

I *think*, but am not positive, some airlines give discounted seats to kids under 2 who have their own seats because they are trying to encourage people not to have the kids on laps, but to have them in car seats on the plane.

Now, having said that, I found it a complete, total, undeniable, frustrating PITA to try to fly with one child with a car seat...they (the flight attends.) don't help, they don't give you much extra time to board, etc. Since you've got three, they might give you more help than they gave me.

Also, just a note on flying w/ little ones if you haven't done it. Take a portable DVD player & their favorite videos - if you don't have one and can't afford to buy one, borrow one! If they still use binkies, take them (helps with ear pressure). Don't bother with diapers, there's no where to change them anyway (maybe one or two for really, really stinky emergencies, but honestly, think about it, where will you change them?). Take an absolute minimum amount of stuff - you'll have enough stuff to deal with. Gate check their stroller/strollers. One cup for each, can be refilled by steward-person, I highly recommend MnMs (especially if they've never had them!) as an in flight distraction...

I have found that the flights are the cheapest at least 1 month from the date you are flying. Are you leaving within a month?

Thanks everyone for your responses. I went ahead and booked my tickets. We're leaving on the 23rd of April, so yeah, it's more than a month. The guy on the phone told me that I could call back if a cheaper fare comes up, but I would have to pay a reissue fee - so it will only be worth it if the fee is less than $100.

Am SOOOO mad - I thought you were supposed to get an infant's fare at half price, but not so for this fare - not even discounted in the least! So I had to pay $877 for 3 tickets.

Gone are the days of being willing to fly standby. get me outta there ASAP!!! LOL

Just read a horror story from one of the other triplet mom's in my group who flew and the airline staff wouldn't help them AT ALL! And she had to go down stairs, across the tarmac and back up stairs to get to the plane! Had to leave a child in a stroller at the top of the stairs so her and her nanny could carry one stroller down and over. Then they had the nerve to tell her that they weren't going to let her board the plane with her attitude. ugh. I will kill them with kindness and hope they do the same. Not betting on anything.

We can't even all sit in the same row because there aren't enough oxygen masks in one row. Have to sit behind each other.

Anyone want to commit me and save me from this trip? LOL

and you are going why

LOL - guess I really never said that part... DH is going out of town for a week and for some odd reason I got the idea to do SOMETHING to get through the week. Not sure if this something is going to make me crazier though. We'll be staying at my cousin's house in Texas - I don't get to see her much and we are best of friends. She has two kids so her house is ready for us, and she has almost all the equipment we'll need - only have to bring one carseat. So I hope it goes ok.

Geez, are you SURE it wouldn't be easier to drive or take a train????? I don't like trying to take my two guys (one of whom is older for those who don't know) down the stairs and across the tarmac!

Oh Monica I had no idea that you had triplets! Bless you first of all! I am glad that you have a Nanny, you need one or two with three little ones. I am sure that your cousin told you about Texas weather it can change at the drop of a hat so you may want to pack a few clothes to keep them warm just in case. Sounds like you will have a great time here with your family!